New Brunswick’s Social Development Minister Madeleine Dubé recently announced plans for a new nursing home in Dalhousie.

“While planning for repair work at Dalhousie Nursing Home, it was discovered that improper ventilation and water infiltration had caused extensive damage to the building,” said Dubé. “Upon further assessment of the damage it became evident that additional repair work would be needed, which is why our government made the necessary decision to replace the home.”

The replacement facility will have 90 beds and will cost an estimated $23 million.  

During the three-step review process used to develop the2011-2016 Nursing Home Renovation and Replacement Plan, new design standards were established to have nursing home sections built in pods of 30.
 
Staff from the departments of Social Development and Transportation and Infrastructure will immediately begin working with the staff of the existing home to ensure the new facility is built in the most cost-effective way possible.

“Providing seniors with good quality care and with opportunities to continue contributing to the communities they built is a key part of our government's plan to rebuild New Brunswick,” said Dubé. 
The existing home will be operational until the new facility is completed. Critical water infiltration and building systems issues will be addressed with $2.1 million in work.

Work on the existing nursing home will include re-grading the exterior, replacing windows, walls, fixtures and pipes, installing backflow prevention, replacing wiring, installing new controls for the heating systems and installing an emergency back-up generator.

The Dalhousie Nursing Home project is part of the provincial government's2011-16 Nursing Home Renovation and Replacement Plan, under which 354 nursing-home beds and 704 specialized-care beds are being created.